Magnus Manson is a character in AMC's The Terror. He is an able bodied seaman on HMS Terror.
In The Show[]
Manson first appears in episode 1 as one of the members of David Young's burial party. His next appearance is in episode 4, when he, Cornelius Hickey, Thomas Armitage, and Tom Hartnell kidnap Lady Silence. Armitage's involvement is not exposed and the remaining three are tried and sentenced with Manson and Hartnell receiving 12 lashes and Hickey receiving 30. In the next episode, Manson and Hartnell are tasked with putting Mr. Hornby's body in Terror's dead room. Manson refuses to go down at first because he is scared, and gets in a brief scuffle with Lt. Irving over it, but Hickey coaxes him into going down. He later appears briefly assisting the officers after Thomas Blanky got his leg mauled by the Tuunbaq.
Manson attends and survives the carnivale fire in episode 6 and appears briefly in the flashback scene of episode 7 when he boards Terror standing behind Hartnell and David Young. Later in the episode he remarks that the team led by Lieutenant Edward Little that left earlier should have camp set up by now up and wonders if dinner would be waiting for them. William Gibson is pessimistic and discusses the possibility of leaving the larger group behind to form their own group and Manson becomes part of the conspirators to undermine Captain Francis Crozier's command.
In episode 8 the mutiny is being planned and Manson is given the task of finding the lightest sledge. When Hickey is later found guilty of murdering Lieutenant John Irving and Thomas R. Farr, a court martial is held but is interrupted by an attack from the Tuunbaq. Manson manages to survive and escapes with Hickey and the other mutineers.
In episode 9 Gibson is killed by Hickey to be cannibalized and Manson joins in. At the end of the episode he is part of a small group sent to retrieve Crozier. Thomas "Tom" Hartnell calls out to Manson but Hartnell is then shot by Charles Frederick Des Voeux. Crozier is brought to the camp in episode 10 and when Manson is sent to get him, he informs Crozier that Hickey doesn't want him to call Crozier Captain anymore. Towards the end of the final confrontation against the Tuunbaq, Magnus begins suffering great pain from eating Doctor Henry Goodsir's poisoned corpse earlier and shoots Thomas Armitage when he aims his gun to kill Hickey. Manson apologizes to Armitage but is killed by the Tuunbaq very shortly after.
In The Book[]
In the novel, Hickey and Manson are in a relationship and Hickey uses Manson to carry out his various deeds. He is eventually shot by Crozier and dies from his wounds.